Video sharing refers to websites or software where a user can distribute their video content. Some services may charge, but the bulk of them offer free services. Many services have options for private sharing and other publication options. Video sharing services can be classified into several categories, among them: user generated video sharing websites, video sharing platform / white label providers and web based video editing. Please note that websites that are solely search engines and do not provide the hosting of their video content (such as SingingFish) are not included in this article.
User generated video sharing
User generated sites mostly offer free services whereby users can upload their video content and share it with the masses. Many sites place restrictions on the file size, duration, subject matter and format of the uploaded video file. Most sites don't allow nudity, though each site makes judgement calls on what qualifies inappropriate content. Some sites also flag adult material to keep it out of their public pool of content. Some sites screen all their content before it is published and others approve first and use community features to filter out inappropriate content "after-the-fact." Examples of video sharing include: YouTube is a popular free video sharing web site which lets users upload, view, and share video clips. Founded in February 2005 by three employees of PayPal, the San Mateo-based service utilizes Adobe Flash technology to display video. The wide variety of site content includes movie and TV clips and music videos, as well as amateur content such as videoblogging. Google Video is a free Google service that allows anyone to upload videoclips to Google's web servers as well as make their own media available free of charge or through Google Video Store. Users can search and play videos directly from Google Video, as well as download video files and remotely embed them on their webpages.
Competing services include iFilm, MetaCafe, Veoh, and Outloud.tv. On 9 October 2006 Google agreed to buy former competitor YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock, but YouTube will remain a separate service under its own identity for the near future, though YouTube search results may include Google Video clips, and vice versa.
Web based video editing
Web based video editing sites generally offer the "user generated video sharing" website in addition to some form of editing application. Some of these applications simply allow the user to crop a video into a smaller clip. Other services have invested much time and effort into replicating the same functionality that has previously only been available via Windows Movie Maker, iMovie and other client-side applications that run outside of a web page. Some of these applications are based in AJAX and others in Flash. Some websites also offer downloadable editors but they will not be listed here due to the number of pre-existing video editors. White Label Providers
Platform and White Label Providers sell the technology to various parties that allow them to create the services of the aforementioned "User Generated Video Sharing" websites with the client's brand. Just as Akamai and other companies host and manage video/image/audio for many companies, these white-labels host video content. Many of these companies also offer their own user generated video sharing website both for commercial purposes and to show off their platform
User generated video sharing
User generated sites mostly offer free services whereby users can upload their video content and share it with the masses. Many sites place restrictions on the file size, duration, subject matter and format of the uploaded video file. Most sites don't allow nudity, though each site makes judgement calls on what qualifies inappropriate content. Some sites also flag adult material to keep it out of their public pool of content. Some sites screen all their content before it is published and others approve first and use community features to filter out inappropriate content "after-the-fact." Examples of video sharing include:YouTube is a popular free video sharing web site which lets users upload, view, and share video clips. Founded in February 2005 by three employees of PayPal, the San Mateo-based service utilizes Adobe Flash technology to display video. The wide variety of site content includes movie and TV clips and music videos, as well as amateur content such as videoblogging.
Google Video is a free Google service that allows anyone to upload video clips to Google's web servers as well as make their own media available free of charge or through Google Video Store. Users can search and play videos directly from Google Video, as well as download video files and remotely embed them on their webpages.
Competing services include iFilm, MetaCafe, Veoh, and Outloud.tv. On 9 October 2006 Google agreed to buy former competitor YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock, but YouTube will remain a separate service under its own identity for the near future, though YouTube search results may include Google Video clips, and vice versa.
Web based video editing
Web based video editing sites generally offer the "user generated video sharing" website in addition to some form of editing application. Some of these applications simply allow the user to crop a video into a smaller clip. Other services have invested much time and effort into replicating the same functionality that has previously only been available via Windows Movie Maker, iMovie and other client-side applications that run outside of a web page. Some of these applications are based in AJAX and others in Flash. Some websites also offer downloadable editors but they will not be listed here due to the number of pre-existing video editors.White Label Providers
Platform and White Label Providers sell the technology to various parties that allow them to create the services of the aforementioned "User Generated Video Sharing" websites with the client's brand. Just as Akamai and other companies host and manage video/image/audio for many companies, these white-labels host video content. Many of these companies also offer their own user generated video sharing website both for commercial purposes and to show off their platform